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SNAFU Part 26

by Angharad

This is a work of fiction any resemblance to anyone alive or dead is unintentional.

*****

It had been a long day, and not to put too fine a point upon it, I was knackered, with a capital ‘K’. I found Sheila, who took one look at me and said, “You look done in.” I nodded my response, too tired to talk.

A few minutes later, we managed to escape. I had possibly enjoyed it more than I thought I would, however, being in the limelight was not my idea of fun. Life seemingly had other plans, and practically everything I did seemed to land me in the spotlight. It was at times exciting, at others, tedious.

We drove back towards my little room and the safe haven of the nurses' home. We hardly spoke, the CD player in Sheila’s car played a disc of music from the James Bond films. Although I was never into the films, I enjoyed the music which had a safe familiarity about them.

I thought about my brief chat with John. I felt he was in real danger, but he wasn’t going to listen to me, all I could do was worry. I tried to pretend he was like James Bond and would outwit or outfight his enemies. I fantasised that I was his beautiful ‘Bond girl’, and we battled together to defeat whatever it was that was trying to hurt me.

I think someone called Caroline Cossey, actually became a ‘Bond girl’, which perhaps showed that being born a boy, needn’t be an impossible barrier to making it as a girl. This helped to boost my flagging spirits, which is what much of combat is about, whatever form it takes. Keeping a cool head and self-belief are winning factors.

While it might seem trite to compare sports with life or death conflict, but there are parallels. Arthur Wellesley, perhaps better known to most as, ‘The Iron Duke’ or ‘The Duke of Wellington’ is attributed as having said, “Battles were won on the playing fields of Eton.” For those who aren’t familiar, Eton is probably the most upmarket of all English public schools. It is horrendously expensive and exclusive, and many of the top men in England went there, including some of the royal family. It isn’t far from Windsor and its imposing castle.

While not having any experience of such ‘toffs’ or their schools, except maybe this evening, where I’m sure some of the senior officers had been through the public school system, I’m sure Wellesley was right. The team building and skills attached to games would be useful in the art of warfare. In particular, I have watched test matches in rugby union with my dad, where the result has been decided by a single kick. Just considering the amount of pressure on a player to score the vital points, knowing that a miss would lose the game, was humbling.

My dad’s fantasy had always been to play rugby for Oxford University, and become ‘a blue’ and then to go on to play for England. He broke an ankle during a trial match and got no further. Perhaps it was just as well, if he had been a sporting celebrity, it would have drawn even more attention to me, and someone would have surely made more of a connection with my past. How it hadn’t happened so far, was a mystery, or a matter of enormous good fortune.

Had I ever experienced the degree of self-belief and talent to do something outstanding, like kicking the winning points in a rugby match? No, I hadn’t, I didn’t have that degree of confidence about anything. I had done some crazy things, which could have caused me major injury or even killed me, but it hadn’t involved confidence more a degree of recklessness. Okay, I sometimes felt stronger because I had some supernatural backup, but I tended to act without too much preplanning or practice. I mean, can you imagine practising sending lionesses to do various tasks? I couldn’t, but I had suddenly remembered I had promised to produce some phenomenon for Frank Hastings.

I asked one of my ‘girls’ to escort him home that night, knowing that it would happen, and he would see her. I smiled as I thought it was quite an impressive party trick.

“You are very quiet.” Said Sheila as we drew into the car park of the nurses home.

“I’m tired, I’m also worried about John. I think he’s in danger.”

“Is that what the phone call was about earlier?” she asked.

“Yes, but he wouldn’t listen to me.”

“Well, you tried.”

“I know. But if anything does happen, then I shall never forgive myself for not being more forthright.”

“You could hardly say too much in the officers' mess, they’d all think you were crazy.”

“I could live with that, he might not. I should have said more to him while I had the chance.”

“Do you really think he would have listened?”

“I don’t know.”

“He found all this magical stuff a bit much anyway, didn’t he?”

“Yes, he didn’t like it. It frightened him, I suppose.”

“I know that feeling.” Said Sheila, “it can be very frightening. I don’t know how you cope.”

“I have no choice,” I replied, “it has all been there waiting to happen around me. And now I have two lots after me.”

“Is there anything anyone else can do? Can I help?”

“Keep in touch with me, please.”

“Of course.” We hugged goodnight and I went up to my room.

I was about to put my key in the lock when something struck me as not being right. I couldn’t identify what it was. There was a presence in my room, I just knew it, and I didn’t feel it was friendly.

I surrounded myself in light, drawing down white and blue rays of luminescence. I was tired, but I could feel my energy rising as I absorbed the strength of the light.
Feeling stronger and more focused, I began to imagine a solar disk just above my head and began to see it charging up with light like one sees the sun rising above the horizon at dawn. My energy was definitely solar-based, so attacks at night were to the advantage of my detractors. However, my ability, so far, to feel them around me, gave me a chance to even things up.

Maybe, I was now about to be tested on my self-confidence and skills. Whatever was in my room, I had to dispose of it, no matter how big or ugly or smelly or seemingly powerful it was, it had to go. This was my time to play the pressure shot, although I knew the game was far from over yet unless I missed my kick.

I tried to visualise what was in my room, all I could see were snakes. I don’t
particularly like snakes, although I do know they are not slimy. I have handled them at a zoological garden with the resident herpetologist. I have watched them being ‘milked’ too, and that was dangerous stuff.

I knew that as I walked in, I would be confronted by a spitting cobra. This is a snake that blinds its prey by spraying venom in their eyes, which it can then attack more safely or leisurely.

This will sound bizarre, because I knew the cobra along with the other wriggly things in my room were thought forms, however, one lapse of concentration and I could be dead. Oh for a mongoose, I thought, and one appeared by the side of me. I invited another, and it appeared too. The ultimate snake basher and I had a pair of them. Sounds silly doesn’t it, my imaginary beasts attacking someone else’s imaginary ones. But this was war.

With trembling hand, I lifted my key to the lock. I instructed my helpers what to do, they did. My solar disk was feeling very bright, and I threw open the door.
The mongooses went in and began laying into the snakes. The spitting cobra was fractionally slow on the draw, and I hit it with the equivalent of a laser pulse. Light does have the advantage of travelling faster than anything else, including snake venom. I saw it wither in front of me, smoking as it fell to the ground.

The combination of my little furry friends and my light show seemed to be clearing the place when I saw what I had been pickingup on. It was hideous.
Filling the space between floor and ceiling was a large black writhing mass of snakes in the shape of something else. Or was it something else, which resembled a large writhing mass of snakes? A sort of Medusa-like character.

Sadly, I didn’t have Perseus handy, with his magic cape and winged sandals. I didn’t even have a sword to hand. However, I didn’t have too much time to think about things either. While feeling revulsion for my uninvited guest, I had to try and remember it wasn’t real, and to project my disbelief in it via the energy I was about to throw at it, in the form of sunlight.

This creature of darkness was about to see the light! It would probably be a one-off experience. Just as I began to think I could see this thing off, I felt a snake around my leg. It was starting to draw me closer to itself. Oh shit.

It is hard to keep in mind that a thought form has just knocked you over and is dragging you along the floor, as unreal. It was happening, I was being dragged along the floor, the shock had momentarily knocked my concentration and I was all too realistically being dragged closer and closer towards this foetid, writhing black thing.
I had to concentrate. It would be the only thing that could save me. I felt my bottom being pulled over the carpets as I tried to divorce the experience from my mind and just focus on the solar disk.

I felt another snake wrap itself around my neck. It was an illusion, just see the sunlight, see the disk, feel its heat see its light.

Another snake slithered over my chest, only to be wrestled off by a mongoose, my hope began to rise, with it my strength and that of the sun. There was an enormous flash, and I saw the light shine from me, I struggled to release myself from the snakes, they were still pulling my legs. I focused more light on the monster, I could smell the most horrid burning stench.

However, it continued to draw me closer. In a final effort, I imagined a ball of light like a miniature sun, being fired from me into the black thing. It hit it like a cross between a cannonball and a phosphorus shell, sticking to it like burning glue.

It began to scream, the smoke and stench were indescribable, then to add to the mess, the fire alarms went off. I couldn’t believe it, but my concentration held, I watched with a mixture of fear, loathing and pity as the threat began to smoulder to a black slime.

I drew down more light, flooding my room with an illumination not usually seen in buildings. As I blasted the place with energy, in the form of light, cleansing and sterilising, it somehow managed to blow the mains fuse and except for the light in my room, the entire building was in the dark.

It was at this point the fire brigade arrived.

Can you imagine the scene? A multi-floored building in total darkness except for one room which appears to have arc welding being done in it. How they opened the security door into the nurse’s home, I don’t know. They then flew up the stairs, wearing breathing apparatus. It was rather smoky, I was getting myself off the floor.

“You okay Miss?” asked my would-be rescuer.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” I replied, laughing partly from shock and partly from relief and perhaps a bit from the surreal situation in which I found myself.

Miraculously, someone managed to repair the fused lights. The newfound illumination showed my room was a mess, with black oily slime everywhere, I was also spattered with it.

“What happened?” asked the fire officer.

“I don’t know,” I lied. What was the point of telling the truth, no one would believe me?

Well, I just destroyed a thought form sent by someone to kill me, unfortunately, I got carried away and blasted it all over my room. Watch you don’t step on one of my imaginary mongooses. Well, would you say that to a fireman? They deal with facts, fight fires, rescue people not explore the paranormal.

I was led downstairs, most of my fellow tenants were also downstairs in nighties and dressing gowns. They saw me being escorted down by the fire chief, and some gave a look of disbelief and shook their heads, as if to say, “That explains things.”

“Do you know what happened?”

“No, I just got back from a dinner at the officer’s mess at Barbury barracks and I opened my door, and bang. Well, I’m not sure if there was a bang, but there was a flash, and I was knocked over. I didn’t really see what happened. Next thing, the fire alarm went off and you were here.”

“Didn’t see any lions, did you?” asked a voice from the back.

“Lions, what’s this about lions?”

“It’s a joke I think,” I said.

“Oh, right.” He replied, shaking his head. “Right ladies, as far as I can tell, there appears to have been some form of lightning strike in this young lady’s room. We have checked everything and all is safe. The smell will dissipate shortly. You can go back to your rooms if you wish.”

With grumbles and mumbles, they all retired. I was about to do likewise, when a burly hand clamped on my shoulder, “Not you Miss, I’d like you to tell me what really happened.”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m not sure if I believe you.”

“I can’t help that, it happens to be true.”

“I want one of my investigating team to have a look tomorrow.”

“Fine, “ I said, bluffing as best I could. “If he discovers what happened, will he let me know?”

“I don’t know, Miss. Depends on what he finds.”

“Can I have your name and room number?”
I told him.

“’Ere, you’re the one who was in the paper. Won them medals.” Said another fireman.

“Yes, that was me.” I felt my little handbag still around my neck. “I happen to have them here do you want to see…”

Needless to say they were suitably impressed and were sure that whatever had happened would not implicate me in any way. As we were talking Sheila arrived, and took command of the situation. She inspected my room, saw it was in need of cleaning, bade me pack a bag and took me to her house for the night. Once we got there, she insisted I tell her what happened, so I did.

While Sheila was making some tea, I checked my mobile. There were no messages from John. I felt apprehensive for him, I felt angry with him and I felt sad, because I missed him. No matter what had happened to us, he was still a lovely man who didn’t deserve to suffer on my account.

I had no idea who was trying to kill me, there were no clues. I had warned John, what else could I do?

“This thing, that you fought with tonight, that was a thought-form?”

“Essentially yes.”

“I don’t understand how a thought can become a physical thing.”

“You just demonstrated it.”

“Me?” said Sheila, “How?”

“The question you asked, was a thought. It caused you to make it manifest by speech.”

“Yeah, okay. It’s not quite the same as some slithery snake thing, is it?” she shuddered as she obviously conceived some picture in her own mind.

“Your shudder then, another thought causing a physical effect.”

“But that’s in the originator of the thought, not external to them.”

“I told you what it looked like. It was my recollected thought. It appeared in both our minds as pictures.”

“I’m not sure I can believe you.”

“Look out the window.”

“What now?”

“Yes.”

“Jesus Christ!”

“What do you see?”

“A lioness.”

“I rest my case.”

“This is of your making?”

“Yes.”

“How am I seeing this, it looks real.”

“To your mind it is. It’s essentially an energy form which you see as a lioness. From there on, it acts just like the real thing, because it is real, to you.”

“That’s incredible. You made this thing, and I’m seeing it. Even though you tell me it’s not really there.”

“It is there, but it isn’t actually what you are seeing. It’s simply energy, projected there by me. It gets easier with practice.”

“Can anyone do it?”

“We all do. Every time we send our thoughts good or bad to another, they get some energy interaction. Sometimes it’s nice, other times it isn’t. So next time you swear at another driver, be aware you are sending them a negative belt of energy. Whether it influences them will depend on how powerful the thought is and how sensitive they are to receiving it.”

“Wow.” Sheila paused, “I’m nearly twice your age and yet you seem to teach me so much. You are special Jamie.”

“So special that A.N. Other is trying to kill me, for a reason I don’t understand.” I shrugged my shoulders.

Sheila set the alarm, “I don’t suppose this is much good against your foes?”

“I have set my own alarm system.”

“The lioness?”

“Amongst other things.”

It felt like a very short night, we got to bed about three and were up by seven. I felt shattered, Sheila was incredible. By the time she woke me, she had showered and dressed and prepared breakfast. She was excited because she had seen a lioness again, and a lion.

“You saw a lion, a male, with mane and things?”

“Yes. How do you do it?”

“That isn’t one of mine. Shit. they know where I am. Look this could get dangerous. I’d better go.”

“No way. I brought you here. We’re in this together.”

“Okay, but do exactly what I say.”

“Okay.”

“Exactly.”

“Yes, okay.”

“Have you been outside?”

“Yes.”

“Damn, you breached the pentagrams I set up last night. They could already be in the house. “ I threw another set around the place, hoping that my lesser banishing would clear anything that might have come in.

Just then the lion walked across the lawn. “When I say now, I want you to send a bolt of light at the lion, like it was struck by lightning. Got it?” she nodded, “Remember it isn’t real, but it can do you harm, we have to get rid of it.”

We both fixed our eyes on it, “Now.” I said loudly, and it was hit by what looked like a bolt of lightning and it disappeared with a flash of blue smoke.”

“Wow!” said Sheila, “Poor puddy tat.”

I shook my head and went to shower, “If you see anything else, wait till I come back.“

“Alright.” She said.

About ten minutes later, I was beginning to dress when I heard a scream from downstairs. Grabbing some jeans and a top I raced to the noise. Sheila was standing in the middle of the room, the other side of which stood a giant scorpion. “Oh shit.”

As I had been dressing and running to her aid, I began to visualise a solar disk above my head. I was nearly charged up when I got there. “Sheila, step back to me.”

“I can’t. I can’t move.” She sobbed at me, “My legs won’t work.”

“Remember the lion?”

“Yes.” She sobbed.

“Same again. On three. One, two, thre…..” We sent a bolt of lightning which this time was accompanied by a loud bang, and I continued firing energy at it for a few seconds longer.

I helped her to move and sit down, she was trembling. “Thank you.” She said to me.

“That’s okay, you’re safe now.”

“It seemed so small, I thought I could get rid of it myself.” She burst into tears.

“It’s okay. It’s gone now.”

“I’m sorry. I failed you. I didn’t do what you told me to do. I thought I could deal with it.”

“It’s alright.”

“What did I do wrong?”

“You haven’t quite managed to work up enough energy yet. So instead of zapping it, you made it bigger.”

“I made it bigger?”

“Yes, it feeds off any spare energy going. By attacking it you are sending negative energy, fear sends some more and bingo, our little arachnid got a bit too big for its own boots.”

“Jamie, why is there a ball of light above your head?”

“It’s okay, shall we say I’m staying prepared for the moment.”

“Can others see it?”

“Some may, like yourself they may see me with the light, others will see the full goddess.”

“Sekhmet?”

“The one and only.”

“You can turn into Sekhmet?”

“A form of.”

“Can I see?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because those who see her tend to have very short lives subsequently.”

“You mean they die.”

“Usually.”

“Is that what happened in Iraq?”

“No, that was conventional weapons.”

“Is it safe for us to go to work?”

“I think so.”

It was a relatively quiet journey and morning. I checked my mobile and saw a text from Frank Hastings, “Ta for the pussy cat escort. F.H.” I chuckled at it, it was quite a party trick. I was just about to switch off my phone when it rang in my hand, making me start.

“Hello.”

“Hi, is that Jamie?”

“Yes, who’s that?”

“I’m Don Masters, I work with John.”

“With John Anderson?”

“Is there another?”

“I s’pose not.”

“Can you call by the office, I need to talk to you.”

“Is John in trouble?”

“I can’t say anything over the phone. What time could you get here?”

I looked at my watch, it was nearly eleven thirty. I could get there by twelve. He gave me directions, it was the same place where that snotty lieutenant messed me about. So much for him not knowing John, the lying toad. If I see him again, I shall give him a piece of my mind.

Getting Sharon to cover for me, I skipped my last class and ran for the bus, which I just managed to catch. I ran to the military police offices, knowing that it could be a trap, but if John was in danger, I had to take the risk.

I spoke to the receptionist, she buzzed someone on the intercom and a few minutes later, a tall, black man with the most beautiful smile came into the office. He too was a sergeant. He walked over to me and we shook hands.

“Hi, I’m Don; you must be Jamie.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

“Well, John wasn’t exaggerating when he said how pretty you were.” I blushed and looked at the floor. “C’mon,” he said, “let’s go somewhere a bit more private.” He led me along a corridor, up some stairs and along another corridor, finally entering a room, the door of which he held open for me. “In you go, have a seat. Tea or coffee?”

I asked for tea. He disappeared and two minutes later was back with a mug of army tea for each of us. How did I know it was army tea? It tastes like nothing else on earth, but after a while you get used to it, possibly addicted to it.

“How can I help?” I asked of this handsome man.

“John said something about you sending him a warning, and mentioned a name, Oliver, was it?”

“Yes.”

“What do you know about this Oliver character?”

“How much time do we have?”

“As much as it takes.”

“How open-minded are you?”

“Are we talking sex or other things?” he laughed as he said it.

“Other things, definitely other things,” I replied blushing.

“Pity,” he said, “You sure are pretty.”

“Your wife wouldn’t like it.”

“No, she wouldn’t.” He paused for a moment. “How do you know I’m married?” He wasn’t wearing a ring nor did he have any photos up of his wife or children.

“Shall we say, I know? She’s called Diane and you have two children Jason and Margot. Jason has been in hospital but he’s okay now, he’s had grommets fitted in his ears. Margot has just had a birthday, you took them to Disneyland in Paris.”

“Have you been spying on me? Did John tell you all this?”

“John never discussed his work with me. I’m sorry, he didn’t ever mention you or your family either.”

“So how do you know all this?”

“I don’t know, but I do. Do you need anything else to prove things?”

“Where did we go…..no, if you had been primed you might know that, let’s see. I am thinking of a place, where is it?”

I closed my eyes, “You are sat in a street café, in Marseilles. There is a supermarket across the road from you, and to your right, there is a carpet shop. Diane is in the shop, looking for a souvenir because it’s your honeymoon.”

He went pale, if it’s possible for a black person to do, and looked at me. “That was some trick. How do you do it?”

“It isn’t a trick, I just see and feel things.”

Who’s this Oliver bloke?”

I explained about the strange evening we’d had. He gave me some funny looks but didn’t interrupt. I told him about the finale, the confrontation with Oliver. I also mentioned the business in my room from last night.

“So if Oliver’s dead, how can he be after John?”

“He isn’t dead, he was never alive in the normal sense. I destroyed one manifestation of him, whoever made him can do so again.”

“John had a meeting with an Oliver in Amsterdam this morning. Since when he hasn’t reported back. Any thoughts?”

“Isn’t it rather too soon to be worrying?” I asked feeling anything but calm.

“In view of your warning, which he took seriously; I asked him to call in as soon as it was over. That was five hours ago. His phone isn’t ringing at all.”

I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, I began to get cold and started to shake. Don was talking to me, but it was growing distant. The room began to swim and...

“Come on Jamie, wake up.” I felt someone rubbing my face. I was lying down somewhere, I struggled to open my eyes against the harsh fluorescent strip lighting. My head was throbbing.

“Come on girl, I think you fainted.” The voice was insistent, it was drawing me back to consciousness.” Take my advice, don’t faint or pass out. It’s undignified and to make sure of that, you wet yourself. I was being helped into a sitting position, my pants were soaking and my head was splitting.

“Do you want a drink of water?”

Despite sitting in a puddle, I accepted the offer. I sipped it slowly, my head was beginning to clear. Now to make sense of what happened.

“He’s alive.”

“Who is?”

“John. He’s alive. They are holding him somewhere dark and near water, I could sense barges or boats of some kind. The place felt like an old warehouse, it’s disused.”

“You saw all that?”

“Yes.”

“I need more to instigate a search. Can you give me more?”

I sat with my head in my hands. “There is lots of blue paint on the building.” I struggled to recall the images. “I can see a factory opposite, it’s Phillips, the electronic people. There’s a railway behind the place where John is. Sorry, it’s gone.”

“That was amazing,” said my companion. “I don’t know Amsterdam at all. But I know a man who does. Are you okay for a moment?” I nodded my response.

Don picked up a phone and began dialling. “Henk, hi. Look I need a favour. I think we may have a man down in Amsterdam. We have a sort of witness. They saw something in a blue painted, disused warehouse. It’s on a canal. Yeah, I know everything is in Amsterdam. It’s opposite a Phillips factory, and there is a railway behind it. I need you to expedite this asap, could be life and death stuff. Oh, you are wonderful, my friend. I’ll wait here, usual number. I owe you one.”

He replaced the receiver. “I have asked the Dutch police to check it out.”

“I thought you said you’ve never been to Amsterdam.”

“I haven’t. But I’ve been all over the place otherwise, including Rotterdam, which is how I know Henk Janssen. We’ve done some NATO stuff together, and he’s been over here a couple of times with his family. He owes me one. If he finds John, it will make his day. They got pissed together the last time he was over, and they got locked up overnight. I had to pull a few strings to get that blind-eyed.”

I struggled to stand up. My pants were soaking, it was noted.

“Oops. The loo is, I’ll show you, it’s quicker.”

I tried to clean myself up in the toilet. It was so embarrassing. In the end, I decided I’d go to the shops and get some more knickers and a pair of cheap pants. I told Don and went off.

It was good to get some fresh air, and the short walk to the high street made me feel much better. In an hour I had bought the required clothing and changed out of the wet things. I also had some chocolate, a lion bar, I know predictable, but I do like them.

On entering the police offices again, I was allowed up to Don’s office. “Hi Jamie. Good news, they’ve found him and he’s in one piece.”

A surge of warmth rose through my body, akin to a mixture of joy and relief. “Thank God.” I felt tears in my eyes.

“Thank you, you mean.” Said Don and gave me a bear hug. “You are one special lady. You’ve probably saved his life.”

“I doubt it. I’m glad he’s safe, give him my love won’t you.”

“You’ll probably see him as soon as I do.”

“We finished a few weeks ago.”

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well. It happens. I have to go.”

“Thanks, that was some trick.”

“It works occasionally. I have a strong link with John.” I turned to leave then stopped at the door, “Your mother says, you don’t spend enough time with the kids.”

He stopped in his tracks visibly startled. “My mother is dead.”

“So, she’s also standing behind you. Maria is the name she’s given me.”

“You can see my mother?” it was his turn to shake.

“She is stood behind you. She says, ‘she understands that you couldn’t get there in time to see her. She watches over you and the kids when she can and the flowers you put on her grave were lovely. Red carnations, her favourite. She says, thanks’.”

Don Masters, stood shaking with tears running down his face. “She told you all that?”

“She’s gone now, but she said, she loved you and the children.” Not knowing quite what to do, I stepped towards him and hugged him. He was really upset.

“I’m sorry if I’ve touched a nerve, Don.” I rubbed his back.

“You haven’t girl, you have just given me something magical. My mum died in London with an aneurysm. It was very sudden, I raced there as fast as I could, but it was too late. She was gone. I go to her grave as often as I can and talk to her, put some fresh flowers, you know.” I nodded.

“She was a lovely lady, like you. Wouldn’t hurt a fly.” I blushed when he said this, the body count was rising.

“When did she die?” I asked.

“Six months ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. Now I know I can still go and talk to her. It helps.”

“I know,” I said, thinking of my grandmother.

“Look, I have to go.”

He hugged me tight and kissed me on the cheek, “John Anderson is a bloody fool if he passes you up, and I shall tell him so. Take care, Jamie; and thank you for saving that idiot’s life and showing me something else too. I think you know what I mean.”

I nodded. Kissed him back on the cheek, and said, “You are a good man Don, look after John for me. Goodbye.”

I left the office feeling warm and happy. I had to go and sort out the mess in my room from last night, but at least I knew John was safe. It had all been worthwhile.